Arturo Alessandri Palma
| Arturo Alessandri | |
|---|---|
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| President of Chile | |
|
In office 24 December 1932 – 24 December 1938 |
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| Preceded by |
Abraham Oyanedel (Acting) |
| Succeeded by | Pedro Aguirre Cerda |
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In office 20 March 1925 – 1 October 1925 |
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| Vice President | Luis Barros Borgoño |
| Preceded by | Emilio Bello |
| Succeeded by | Luis Barros Borgoño (Acting) |
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In office 23 December 1920 – 23 September 1924 |
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| Vice President | Luis Altamirano |
| Preceded by | Juan Luis Sanfuentes |
| Succeeded by | Luis Altamirano |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
December 20, 1868 Longaví, Chile |
| Died | August 24, 1950 (aged 81) Santiago, Chile |
| Political party | Liberal Party |
| Spouse(s) | Rosa Ester Rodríguez |
| Children | Arturo Rosa Ester Jorge Fernando Hernán Eduardo Marta Mario |
| Alma mater | University of Chile |
| Profession | Lawyer |
| Religion | Roman Catholicism |
Arturo Fortunato Alessandri Palma (December 20, 1868 – August 24, 1950) was a Chilean political figure and reformer, who served three times as the President of Chile, first between 1920 and 1924, and then again in 1925, and finally from 1932 until 1938.
He was son of Pedro Alessandri Vargas, son of an Italian immigrant, and Susana Palma Guzmán. His father was dedicated to the agricultural labor of the estate in which he lived. At the age of 12 he entered the Sacred Hearts High School, run by French priests, where his brothers were studying and his father had studied.
He started his law career by beginning studies at the University of Chile at the age of 20, graduating in 1893. In 1891, while studying, he participated in the newspaper "La Justicia", which was in opposition to the President of the time, José Manuel Balmaceda. After graduating as a lawyer, he married Rosa Ester Rodríguez Velasco, with whom he had 9 children.
He began his political life in 1897, entering the Liberal Party, and assuming the position of representative of Curicó, where he would be re-elected for almost 20 years. In 1915, already showing his first presidential aspirations, he challenged the senator of the province of Tarapacá, Arturo del Río. Alessandri won a disputed and violent election, from where he earned the nickname of León de Tarapacá (Lion of Tarapacá), due to his charisma, his popularity with the people and his public-speaking abilities.
In 1920 he ran for President of the Republic for the Liberal Alliance , defeating by a narrow margin his opponent of the Coalition (now named the National Union since it incorporated the Conservative Party) Luis Barros Borgoño. With his speeches favoring the working class, he caused great fear in the more conservative sectors of Chilean society, which saw its interests in jeopardy. Since the opposition controlled the National Congress, Alessandri favored strengthening the executive power, which lacked political weight before the Congress (Parliamentary Era).
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